Local Therapy Delivers Survival Benefit in Metastatic Prostate Cancer: Study

Posted by Lewisville / Flower Mound Oncology on January 14th, 2017

Men who are diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer may soon find their healthcare providers recommending a three-prong treatment. While a two-step process has long been used, researchers are finding that the addition of radiation therapy into the mix can greatly enhance survival rates in higher risk prostate cancers.

Metastatic prostate cancer is quite typically treated with a combination of surgery and androgen deprivation therapy. The surgery is meant to remove the diseased prostate while the hormone therapy helps slow cancer’s growth by eliminating its fuel source. The addition of radiotherapy into the mix, however, enhances survival benefits, studies have found.

One study that supports the use of a three-pronged approach involved a review of more than 6,300 cases. All of the men in the study received androgen deprivation therapy. About 530 also received radiotherapy. For those who also received radiation, the survival benefit was significant. The study found the median survival rate nearly doubled for men who received both forms of therapy. Overall survival was also much higher at the three-, five- and eight-year marks. Other studies have come to the same conclusion that adding highly targeted radiation into the treatment mix can make a difference in survival rates of men diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer.

It is estimated that some 180,000 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer over the coming year. While most cases of the disease are considered low risk and highly treatable, an estimated 26,000 American men die from the disease annually. That fact makes improving treatment protocols for men with more aggressive forms of the disease critical. A three-pronged approach in metastatic cases may make the difference for some men, research has found.

Men who are diagnosed with more aggressive forms of prostate cancer are urged to discuss all treatment options with their healthcare providers. It is important to understand the benefits and risks of proposed treatments while also weighing them with likely quality of life following treatment. A three-prong approach to treating metastatic prostate cancer may deliver some risks, but research is showing the benefit can be found in enhanced survival likelihood.

Prostate cancer is a risk for all men, especially as they age. With that in mind, it is recommended that men talk about this disease, its prevention and early screening tests with their healthcare providers. Like many other forms of cancer, prostate cancer is more readily treatable when it is caught in its earliest phases.

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Lewisville/Flower Mound Oncology Group, a division of Choice Cancer Care – is an independently owned and operated oncology practice that is completely focused on unique, comprehensive patient care.